A Window into My Mind
by Life Addict
Summary: 13 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, the wizarding world is peaceful. However, the peace evaporates as two sisters become the target of a killer.
1. Chapter 1

**A window into my mind**

A book in the Restricted Section lays long forgotten, its cover concealing its secrets and truths. If someone were to open it, only one page would have writing on it.

The Boy Who Lived began the era of peace,

Someone will seek to destroy it

Two girls, born in the year of the Dark Lord's demise,

With windows into each other's souls must live.

If one falls, the other shall fall,

And magic will fall with them.

Raksha

"-and Harry Potter hunted down the Horcruxes to destroy them to destroy the Dark Lord himself." Professor Bins droned on. A girl at the back of the classroom raised her head and inwardly groaned. Wasn't the class over yet? She could've sworn she had spent a year already in the classroom. Raksha wished that Hogwarts would replace him with someone who sounded a bit more….well…alive. Not that he was. He had been teaching as a ghost for so long, he had probably witnessed firsthand the topics he lectured about. Although he could've made things sound more interesting. It wasn't as if he absolutely had to make History the most boring class ever invented. Raksha sighed.

_How are you doing sis? I'm about to fall into a boredom caused coma. _Raksha snuck a glance to the other side of the classroom where her sister sat, head up and taking notes furiously. She smirked. Of course Malaika would be the perfect student. Her very name said it all. Malaika meant angelic. Raksha meant demon.

_Perfectly fine sis. If you would actually listen, you might learn something interesting. _Raksha's smirk turned into a scowl. She hated when her sister lectured her in her own mind. While the telepathic link between them was handy at times, it could be downright annoying if Malaika was lecturing. Since no one else could hear the exchange, no one could tell Malaika to leave Raksha alone. She couldn't even tell anyone else about it. No one would believe her if she did, since there was no record of anyone having a direct link to another's mind, not even other sets of twins. Raksha and Malaika were on their own.

Letting her mind wander a bit, Raksha remembered the first day of Hogwarts, 3 years ago.

_"Raksha Werth!" Glowing with excitement, Raksha walked over to the sorting hat and sat on the stool. The hat was placed on her head. Immediately she heard a voice._

_"Oh aren't you excited! Now let's see where I should put you…You are a bit impulsive but are able to think on your feet, that's good for gryffindor or slytherin…you are quite bright…not afraid to talk back!" the hat chuckled. "How about… SLYTHERIN!!!!" _

_The table on the far left erupted with cheering and applause. She knew that in the past, Slytherin had a bad reputation, but recently that reputation was getting better. Raksha walked over with a grin on her face, happy with the hat's choice. _

_"Malaika Werth!" Raksha's sister walked up to the stool with the hat. Her expression was as excited as Raksha's had been, but with a bit more elegance. The hat had barely touched her head when it bellowed "RAVENCLAW!!!" Raksha didn't mind that her sister was in a different house. Ravenclaw would suit studious and mature Malaika betterthan energetic and rowdy Raksha. Plus, they could talk to each other from across the castle if they concentrated hard enough. Hogwarts already seemed like it was going to be fun…_

Hogwarts was fun. Learning all of the spells and potions was something that both sisters excelled at, and the teachers all liked them. However, subjects like history that had no spells or incantations or potions seemed pointless to Raksha. She couldn't wait until next year when she could drop the subject.

_Raksha! Pay attention! Professor Bins is asking you a question on Harry Potter!_ Raksha jerked with surprise at Malaika's abrupt intrusion. She looked up at the front and sure enough, the ghostly teacher was looking at her expectantly.

"Sorry Professor, could you repeat the question?" Her face seemed repentant and apologetic. It was a face that had charmed teachers again and again. It worked.

"Of course Miss Werth. I was wondering if you could recall the name of Harry's headmaster at school."

That was easy. Everyone had heard the story of Harry Potter millions of times. The man was a legend. "Albus Dumbledore sir." The professor nodded and went on with his lecture. Raksha put her head back down and tried to block him out. She didn't worry about missing anything. The professor always followed the text, so she could just look it over later. Reading was something she didn't mind as much as the boring monotone lectures.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for not updating sooner. Well hopefully things start getting a bit interesting now. It will probably be a chapter or two before the action happens, but I feel I should fully introduce the story first. Remember, you want me to change something, review!!!!**

"Why can't they just replace Professor Bins already?! I mean, someone has to have complained about him before right?" Raksha grumbled. The boring class had finally ended and lunch had started. Raksha was sitting out in the giant courtyard with her sister and their group of friends. There was Helen from Gryffindor, Lei and Sarai from Hufflepuff, Drake from Raksha's house of Slytherin and Connor from Ravenclaw. Despite being in different houses, everyone got along reasonably well. Some may think that the rivalry between the houses would tear this group apart early, but it had yet to happen.

"Why should they replace him though? He knows what he's talking about as he's probably seen the events himself." Malaika said. She tucked her shoulder length blond hair behind her ear. Despite the African origins of her name, she had sea green eyes and pale skin that refused to tan. She truly did look like an angel with a small smile on her slender face.

"Come on Mal. I agree with Raksha. He is so boring! If someone like Harry Potter or Hermione Granger came and taught…well, history would definitely become my best subject." Lei shot back.

"Fat chance that would happen. It's more likely that Professor Trelawny would actually have a class without a death prediction than one of them showing up to teach." Sarai said snarkily. It was true. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had not shown the slightest interest in teaching at their old school. During the thirteen years after the Harry had slain Voldemort, Harry had become one of the best Aurors in history. Hermione was content to experiment with spells, while Ron had teamed up with his brother George to help him with running the joke shop. They had all adamantly refused the cushy Ministry jobs offered to them.

"Oh well. It's fun to hope though." sighed Lei. Lei was the lone Asian of the group. She had transferred from the Japanese school in second year, and had to pick up English quickly. Sarai had spent some time in Japan thankfully and was able to act as translator for Lei when she had trouble with English. The two of them were joined at the hip.

"Well it doesn't really matter anyways does it? We're all dropping it next year, so what's the point of getting worked up over a dull ghost?" Drake put in. Drake was the eye candy and the guardian of the group. With dark brown hair and dragon eyes, it didn't take much for him to mesmerize people. His stunning eyes actually changed colour depending on his mood. Right now they were his calm green. He also had the lean muscled build of a martial artist.

"Thank goodness for that!" Raksha burst out. She was the rebel of the group. She had the same fair skin and blond hair as her sister, but all resemblance ended there. She had cropped her hair short except at the front, where two locks framed her face perfectly. One of the locks had a metallic streak, dyed using a potion she had created. It would change colour depending on her mood, much like Drake's eyes. Right now it was purple with excitement. Her eyes were also quite different. They were the lightest grey imaginable, giving her a penetrating gaze. When feeling intense or angry, her friends had told her that her eyes had glinted like the metal silver.

"Well, never mind about lessons! What's everyone doing at Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Helen piped up. The lone Gryffindor was notorious for goofing off during the lessons, but then miraculously getting the highest scores during the exams. The teachers and other students were still mystified about this. Only Raksha's group knew about her photographic memory and natural gift with spells. Her one weakness was Herbology. The written exam was a piece of cake, but the practical portion of going near the plants was an ordeal. Ever since watching her sister get strangled by a rogue piece of Devil's snare when she was 8, she had despised and feared all magical plants. Malaika had spoken to the Herbology professor before the exam last year and explained Helen's phobia. She was exempted from that part of the exam. Helen had stuck with Malaika ever since. She was a tall girl who could throw a vicious left hook. Her waist length hair was red and wavy and the envy of many girls in her house. She had dark brown eyes that sparkled with laughter easily.

"I was thinking we could go to the Shrieking Shack. Just imagine…Harry Potter spied on Voldemort and Snape there…So awesome!!!" Connor exclaimed. He was the die-hard Harry Potter fan. While everyone in the courtyard admire and were grateful to Harry Potter, they sometimes got tired of Connor's hero worship. He was a slightly shrimpy kid with thick glasses which screamed nerd. Some outside the group did not know why he was a part of this cool group. They didn't know about his talent with duelling and strategy. The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had picked him for a demonstration of a duel. Instead of the kid being humiliated in front of his class, he had humiliated the professor with some well-placed disarming, shield and stunning spells. He had sworn the class, which included Malaika, Sarai, Lei and Helen, to secrecy, but not before Raksha had heard about it and brought him into the fold.

Everyone in Raksha's and Malaika's group had a few things in common. They were the most talented in their year, and didn't brag about it. Lei was a genius on a broom and was the seeker of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Sarai had a gift for Divination. Not the fake divination that Professor Trelawny taught, but true visions and predictions. Sarai had managed to save a girl in her house from an explosion in her Potions class. She had seen it a couple of minutes before and pulled the girl out of the way. They were also not afraid of getting in trouble. Even angelic Malaika and nerdy Connor.

Raksha and Malaika looked at each other and rolled their eyes. _No way am I going to the Shrieking Shack again…_Raksha groaned internally. _I am so with you there sis…_Malaika thought agreeably. Their group still didn't know about their telepathy, and the twins preferred to keep it that way. While being an oracle or being able to speak to snakes were abilities that were known about and accepted, true telepathy between two people had not been discovered. The last thing they wanted was to be regarded as freaks. So they just kept it a secret.

"No Connor" the entire group chorused. Connor sighed and put on his best disappointed face. If he ever lost the glasses and put on a little muscle, he would be adorable.

"How about we get some….uhhhh….Butterbeer!" Lei said triumphantly. She often could not remember the name of the drink and was always happy when she could.

"I'm cool with that." Drake said. The others murmured agreement.

"Plus, we can go restore our candy stash after!" Malaika said brightly. This was met with instant grins on everyone's faces. Every time they went to Hogsmeade, Raksha and Malaika bought as much candy and chocolate as they could. Everyone got an equal share and tried to make it last until the next Hogsmeade visit. Nothing brings a group of teens together like a continuous sugar rush.

The clock chimed, signalling the end of lunch. Helen and Raksha groaned, Connor grinned, Malaika and Drake rolled their eyes and Lei and Sarai cursed in Japanese.

"Well, I'm off to Charms. See ya!" Raksha rushed off. Today they were learning cheering charms. For once Raksha didn't dread the class. While she was able to pick the charms up quickly, it sapped a lot of energy from her for some reason. She always left the class tired and grumpy. However, cheering charms would certainly cheer her up. Plus, her sister wouldn't be able to scold her when she played tricks on the teacher. Charms was the only class she didn't have with Malaika.

As she skipped into the classroom, a bunch of Slytherin girls waved. While Raksha didn't hang out with most of them, she was friendly with the girls of her house so she went to sit by them to chat.

"I love your hair Raksha! Can you teach me how to make that potion?"

"Do you remember how to do that spell from last week's Transfiguration class? I can't seem to get it quite right."

"What are you doing at Hogsmeade?"

As Raksha answered each of their questions, she wondered why they admired her so much. For they did. Everytime she spoke, they hung on to her every word. Everytime she made a joke, they laughed. It wasn't as if she was pretty, or knew someone famous. She never tried to be popular, but she was anyways. I guess that's one of the mysteries of life, she thought to herself.

"Silencio!" A voice bellowed over the racket. The room went silent. The source of the spell was the charms teacher, Professor Cherub. Like his predecessor Professor Flitwick, he was also a diminutive man, but had a titan sized voice to make up for his size. He was also very impatient, so he never waited for the class to quiet down. Instead he made it quiet. Raksha noticed with amusement a Hufflepuff boy struggling to make a sound. Not going to happen. Professor Cherub's silencing spells were famous for their strength. Unless the professor wanted them to, no one was going to talk until the spell had been lifted. Raksha just waited for the professor to start the lesson.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey people! Thanks tipix for the review. I will try to have updates weekly. Anyways I finally put a bit of action in. Sorry if the chapter seems short. I'll try to get longer chapters in next time. Again R&R! I need advice and ideas. **

* * *

"Oh you should have seen that boy! I thought he was going to break his jaw trying to speak!" Raksha chuckled as she relayed what had happened to Drake. His eyes turned to an amused blue. They were sitting in the Slytherin Common Room going over the day's homework.

"Well obviously the Cheering charms worked. You're always cranky after Charms. Who was your partner?"

"A girl from Gryffindor…uhhh…I think her name was Stephanie or Sarah or something that started with an S."

"Hmm..don't think I know her…maybe Helen knows her."

"Probably. Helen seems to know everyone in our year. I envy her memory for names!" Raksha sighed. Malaika was the one with the amazing memory. While Raksha could remember stuff for class, remembering names and faces was not her strong suit. It had taken her weeks to memorize her own friends' names, something that they had teased her incessantly about.

_Hey sis, do you know a Gryffindor girl in our year named Stephanie or Sarah. She has Charms with me and is very good at it._ Raksha thought silently, careful to keep her expression normal. While Drake didn't know about the connection, he was very observant and would be able to tell if she was concentrating on something else. Then he would ask and she would have to lie to him, which she failed at.

_Raksha! I'm in the middle of handling Devil's Snare! While you may not have class now, I do! _Malaika snapped. _And yeah I do know her. It is Sarah. Geez your memory sucks! _She abruptly cut off the connection.

"Raksha? Do you have any idea of what the transfiguration homework was? I didn't write it down." Drake grinned sheepishly. He was always forgetting to write stuff down. The only reason he handed in his homework on time was that he made sure he had one person in each class who would write down the homework. In Transfiguration, that person was me.

"Again?! One day I am going to purposely not write the work down and then where would you be? Anyways I've got it right here. We have to try and change the colour of our hair next lesson. All we have to do is practice. The spell is really quite easy." Raksha demonstrated. She placed the tip of her wand on her head and was about to utter the incantation when-

"Raksha watch out!!" Drake pulled Raksha out of the chair and threw her away from the fire as the flames billowed out, singing her hair and blackening the place where she had been sitting. As quickly as the flames had attacked, they surged back into the fireplace and were extinguished. Breathing in short little gasps, she got up from the floor where she had been thrown and examined the damage. The chair would have to be looked at by the house elves and the bottom edge of her hair at the front had been singed. The dye in her hair had become clear from shock. She turned to look at Drake and immediately wished she hadn't. He standing, holding his hand to the side of his face closest to the fireplace. What skin was visible on that side looked red and blistered.

"Merlin's beard! Are you okay Drake?!" As Raksha said this, it sounded ridiculous. Of course he wasn't okay. He just been burned by rogue fire. When Drake gave a slight groan in response. She wasted no time in dragging in from the Common Room and into the dungeon hallway outside their house. As she was doing this she shouted "Aguamenti!" causing water to spurt from her wand and into Drake's face, hopefully cooling the burn.

"Merlin Raksha!! You're drowning me1" Drake spluttered. At least he wasn't moaning like a dying person.

"No I'm trying to help you! Burns need cool water! Now shut up! I'm taking you to the nurse!" Raksha snapped back. Luck was with her and the staircase she had chosen had decided to take her straight to the Hospital Wing.

"Help! Drake's hurt!" At the sound of her plea, Madam Pomfrey, aged but as intimidating as ever, rushed out of the back room toward them. She tool one look at Drake's face and pushed him into a chair. She then grabbed a jar of noxious smelling cream and spread it on the red burn. Almost immediately, Drake sighed with relief.

"Thanks Madam, but does this stuff have to stink so much?" Drake queried. Raksha rolled her eyes. Of course he would complain. Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes as well.

"What happened?" This question was directed at Raksha. Raksha quickly explained what had transpired, showing the woman her singed hair, and explaining how Drake had pushed her out of the way, only to get burned himself.

"I thought your reflexes were better than that Drake. Couldn't you have used your kung fu or something to avoid the nasty flames?" Raksha glared at Drake. While she was grateful that he had saved her, she was still upset at how he had been hurt.

"No I couldn't. The flames were- I don't know- targeting you and then me. I don't think I could've gotten out of the way in time." That silenced Raksha. Drake had a black belt in Kung fu and knew what he was doing. If he felt that he really couldn't get out of the way in time, it was true.

"Well Miss Werth, I do believe that you should consider yourself lucky to only get a bad hair day. You Mr. Fleur should also consider yourself lucky that you didn't burn you eye out." Drake blushed at the use of his last name. He really hated the fact that he was of the "Flower" family. Raksha couldn't blame him.

Madam Pomfrey continued on. "You do realize that I must inform the Headmaster at once. You two could have been seriously hurt." Raksha and Drake looked at each other and sighed. Great. The Headmaster was a stern wizard and would undoubtedly interrogate them about the incident.

"Can I go now?" Drake asked hopefully. He hated the Hospital Wing. Even if he was really hurt or sick, he preferred to suffer through it by himself rather than going to Madam Pomfrey. If Raksha hadn't dragged him while he was still in shock, he probably wouldn't be there now.

Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Very well Mr. Fleur. Keep the salve on your face for another half hour. Miss Werth, make sure he does." Both the teens nodded and headed back to their House.

As they headed back down to the dungeon, Raksha turned to Drake and said, "You are such an idiot."

"Why?!"

"You could've used a shield spell you dolt! I know Connor's the best at them but yours aren't bad either. And besides, throwing yourself at the fire was the most stupid thing I've ever seen!" Raksha spilled out. Her dyed streak glittered red with anger. Her eyes glinted and her hands were bunched into fists at her side. Drake glared back, then sighed and shrugged.

"I didn't think. But I figure that this" he motioned to his face "is better than you being killed." Raksha stared at him, tightened her lips and stalked away. This was too much to handle for her right now. She had nearly gotten killed in her own Common Room, and her best friend was hurt because of it.

_Malaika? Something happened. Are you free to talk now?_


	4. Chapter 4

"Baka! Baka! Baka!" Lei cursed at Drake in Japanese. Sarai winced at each word. She was the only one who knew what it meant. From her reaction, it was not complimentary at all. Malaika and Connor looked on with wide eyes. The group had gathered in a corner of the Great Hall to discuss what had happened. It wasn't yet dinner, so the Hall was only partially full. Helen was absent due to a detention given by Professor Trelawny. It appeared the elderly woman had not appreciated being called a quack.

Raksha watched the exchange with a slight scowl on her face. She had managed to force Drake to keep the smelly cream on for the half hour, but not without him complaining. In the end she had used the petrificus totalus spell on him. The left side of his face was now only slightly pink, but Raksha could still see the blisters in her mind's eye.

"Sarai, are you going to tell me what our little Seeker is saying or are you just going to keep wincing?" Drake asked calmly. He was sitting down, taking the abuse that Lei was dishing out. If Raksha hadn't still been angry with him, she might have been a little impressed. Drake had a temper. While it was very hard to make him angry, when he was, the best thing to do would be to use a shield spell. The last time he had lost his temper, it had been during lunch. Every glass on the Slytherin table had exploded. While no one else knew that it was Drake, to Raksha it was obvious that it was. Plus, she could've sworn his eye became slit pupils when it happened, but it had disappeared before she could make sure. That had been in first year. Ever since, Drake had kept an even tighter lid on his temper. Raksha couldn't help but wonder how long that would last.

"She's basically calling you an idiot. But only because she was worried, right Lei?" The raven-haired girl stared at the slight Seeker. Lei stared back and sat down with a huff.

"Yes…I was worried that I had…lost one of my best friends." Drake looked down. Raksha was beginning to feel a little sorry for him.

"Lighten up guys! He said he was sorry… I'm just glad he and Raksha are okay." Malaika's voice cut through the group. Lei and Drake looked up, smiled slightly and nodded. Raksha finally let the scowl fall from her face. Malaika had always been the one with the cool head, while Raksha had the quickest temper. They balanced each other.

_Thanks sis. _Raksha saw the twinkle in Malaika's blue eyes before turning back to Drake. The atmosphere of the group had brightened slightly. But there was still an undercurrent of tension.

"That sort of thing isn't supposed to happen. The fireplaces in Hogwarts are spelled to be safe. The only way you could be burned is if you leaped into the fireplace itself. From what you're saying, that didn't happen." Connor spoke up hesitantly. Everyone turned to look at him, considering his words.

_He's right Raksha. This wasn't an accident. Someone just tried to hurt you._

_How do you know I was the target? Drake was the one who got hurt. _Raksha retorted back silently. Malaika stared at Raksha intently.

"Someone tried to kill you Raksha. Drake may have gotten hurt, but the fire was targeting you." Malaika voiced her next thought aloud for everyone to hear. Drake and Raksha stiffened.

"Why would anyone want to kill me? I haven't made any enemies."

"Except for that Ravenclaw kid!" Lei put in.

"And that shopkeeper in Diagon Alley!" Sarai added.

"And that fifth-year Slytherin guy!" Connor stammered.

"Oh come one! Sure they may not like me but not enough to kill me! Right?" Raksha looked around. Everyone avoided her eyes except Drake.

"Well, you have to admit, your sharp tongue has annoyed quite a few people. But, as you said, not enough to warrant charming an already enchanted fireplace to try to kill you." Drake mused thoughtfully.

"Maybe a case of mistaken identity?" suggested Sarai. Then she stiffened and clutched her head. She was having a vision and quite an intense one at that. Lei stood up and tugged her friend down into a chair. A minute passed and Raksha was contemplating getting the nurse when Sarai straightened with a gasp. Her dark-brown eyes were wide and her already pale face had lost all colour.

"What did you see?" Raksha asked.

Sarai's eyes went blank. Her mouth opened and a voice that was not her own came out.

"You escaped once, but will you escape twice? The powers that are hunting will not rest until the window to your soul is closed. You have your guardians, you have your skills. But will they be enough?" Sarai coughed and blinked rapidly. Blood returned to her face.

"Do you remember what you just said?" Lei asked gently. After a vision, Sarai tended to be slightly disoriented for a minute. But this was her first spoken prophecy, and that could make the effect worse.

"Not at all. Good thing you guys heard it. Right?" She glanced at them hopefully. They all nodded with grim looks on their faces. Sarai's face fell.

"Your prophecy pretty much blew your mistaken identity idea out of the water. So what did you see? Do you remember that?" Drake inquired impatiently. His eyes were grey with… Raksha wasn't sure when she'd seen that particular hue in his eyes. She couldn't tell what he was feeling. Tension? Worry?

"Yeah I do….unfortunately.." the seer murmured. She sighed and closed her eyes as if thinking about how to respond. The teens waited, wondering what she had seen that was so disturbing.

"If what I saw is true, then someone is definitely trying to kill you. It also means that you're dead if we don't change it."

"What do you mean by 'change it'? I thought your visions always came true!" Malaika sounded shrill, causing Raksha to look intently at her twin. Malaika and shrill did not go together.

"Well, they do usually but…you know when I pulled that girl out f the way in that Potions class?" They all nodded. "Well, the vision that I saw showed the girl at her cauldron during the explosion. I then saw her in the Hospital Wing… dead. Obviously, that bit didn't come true because I stopped it. I'm thinking that we can prevent Raksha's death the same way. Stop the vision from coming true, we save Raksha. Anyways, what I saw was…" Sarai closed her eyes before continuing on. "What I saw was Raksha on the ground somewhere outside. It was a meadow I think. I heard someone speak, but I couldn't see them. I could only see Raksha. He said something about closing your soul's window, whatever that means…" Raksha and Malaika sneaked a glance at each other. They both understood the reference. "Then he killed you Raksha. It was the killing curse." Tears rolled down Sarai's cheeks, yet she still met Raksha's hard silver eyes. No one spoke, as if trying to absorb and understand what Sarai had just said. Drake's eyes turned black, Raksha's streak was gray and Connor was for once still and not fidgeting. It was as if death was already in the room with them.

"Okay, so we know that Raksha is targeted, but why? And what this about the window to her soul anyhow?" Connor sounded unnerved and puzzled. He looked at Raksha. "Do you know what it means?"

Ralsha knew alright. It had to be the connection between her and her twin. However, she couldn't tell anyone that. Then the secret would be out.

_We can't tell them sis. You understand that right?_

…_We can't hide it forever you know. They'll find out sooner or later._

_Then let's make it later rather than sooner. Just don't tell them._

…_Fine. _Raksha breathed a small sigh of relief as she met Connor's eyes. She shook her head. Drake narrowed his eyes slightly. She pretended not to notice.

"What…season was it? In your vision?" Lei broke the silence. Sarai blinked and thought for a moment.

"The grass was green, so it was either spring or summer… I think I heard cicadas, making it summer. Other than that I don't know."

"So it's February right now. This means we have around…4 months to figure out what's going on. Right?" Lei said this with a measure of resolve.

"Yeah I suppose." Malaika said hesitantly.

"Shouldn't we tell the teachers? I mean, they might know about the soul window stuff at least." Connor looked a little desperate. "We're only in third year! How are we supposed to handle this?!"

"What teacher would believe this?" Sarai said woodenly. No one had an answer.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for taking so long to update. I had writer's block. That could be helped if more people would review please!!!

**Sorry if some of it is a bit cliché. I couldn't help it. Give me tips please!!**

As Raksha lay down on her bed in the girl's dormitory, she found that there was no way she was going to fall asleep. What she had just learned was bouncing around her head, making adrenaline flow. She could go to the nurse for a sleeping potion, but questions would be asked. She couldn't take that risk. She sighed, rolling over to rest on her stomach, head resting on her arms.

_You asleep yet sis?_

_No…I'm guessing I won't be able to for a while. Do you want to talk?_

_I suppose we should. _Raksha closed her eyes. It was far easier to communicate with Malaika when her eyes were closed. This was going to be a long conversation.

_Raksha if someone is hunting you simply to close the "window", it would be safe to assume that they'll come after me next._

_The why didn't Sarai see you in the vision? _

_Maybe the vision only showed your possible fate because she was only looking for you. Nobody thinks I would be a target because they won't know about the "window". _There was a long pause. _Raksha, we need to tell them. They need to know, especially if we put them in danger again. _

_No! You know what will happen…what has happened.._

_This time it is different. We have friends now. I think that they would understand. At least Drake would. _

_And if they don't? _Raksha's thought sounded bleak.

Then we still have each other. Promise me that if I get targeted, you'll tell. Promise!

_…Fine._

The two sisters spoke for another hour, trying to figure out why their ability was threatened. They came up with only half-hearted guesses, nothing concrete. By the time the next morning came, Raksha had only gotten a few hours of sleep. It was the day of the Hogsmeade visit. As she made her way to the Common Room, she tried to get excited about the trip. She was fighting a losing battle. Drake was waiting for her by the stonewall. He put his hand on her shoulder and said nothing. He didn't need to. Raksha knew he had her back. For now. As the wall slid open and they walked silently to the Great Hall, she wondered if the Hogsmeade visit was going to be silent and awkward. She hoped not.

Nearly all of Hogwarts was gathered in the Hall, dressed not in their robes but in comfortable Muggle clothes. Raksha was wearing a jean jacket with a fleece lining with frayed jeans. Drake was wearing a green zip-up hoodie and black jeans. Everyone was wearing a similar outfit. It wasn't warm enough to go outside without a jacket and long pants. Drake and Raksha stayed at the back of the crowd, not wishing to be jostled. Too many people had gotten their shopping money stolen that way. Not that it would have worked on them. Drake simply would have broken the thief's fingers and Raksha could draw her wand so quickly no one would escape.

"Drake! Raksha! Over here!" Connor squeaked. He was also at the back of the crowd, waving his hand to signal them. It was a good thing he did because his skinny frame blended in with the students around him. As they made their way over, Raksha spotted Malaika and Helen doing the same. They only had to wait a few minutes before Sarai and Lei showed up, quietly conversing in Japanese. Everyone looked a little tired, as though they had gotten the same amount of sleep that Raksha got. Before she could comment on this, a whistle was blown and everyone started to move out of the Great Hall. Between keeping an eye on her purse and trying not to get run over, she didn't speak until they arrived at Hogsmeade.

"So, where do we go first? Honeydukes? Or the Three Broomsticks?" There were a couple of chants of Honeydukes, so the shivering group started to walk quickly to the sweet shop. The only sign that yesterday's events had occurred was that everyone stuck a little closer to Raksha than usual, putting her in the centre of the group. She didn't mind. It kept out the wind and they were right to be a bit tense. Still, she was determined that it would not spoil the trip.

The warmth and mouth-watering smells of the sweet shops quickly thawed any students walking in from the chill. Already a couple of escaped chocolate frogs were making their way towards the door, only to be scooped up by their careless owners. Raksha smiled. She remembered her first chocolate frog. It had been on the twins seventh birthday.

_"A chocolate frog! For us! Thank you!" The two little blond girls chorused. They really did look like twins with their identical grins of happiness as they held the pentagon shaped boxes. Malaika opened hers and squealed as the frog jumped out. Raksha quickly dove and caught it before giving it back to her sister._

"_Be careful Mal! Hold on to it!" Raksha giggled. "What card did you get?"_

"_Harry Potter!"_

They had both gotten Harry Potter. At the time, they both idolized him. Now, while they still admired him, they didn't hero-worship him like Connor still did. Raksha started to walk toward the back of the shop. These were where her favourite sweets were. Chocolate frogs, Bertie Botts every flavour, Acid Pops… Drake often said that she must have zero tastebuds and a stomach as hard as iron. Raksha just thought he was soft. It wasn't her fault that she loved strong flavours. However, her friends' intolerance for the stronger sweets meant that she didn't have to share these ones.

"Yes!!!!" a delighted squeal resounded throughout the shop. Raksha turned to see her twin jumping up and down in front of a table of fresh treacle fudge. Malaika sometimes stole a few of these, but she wasn't as addicted as Raksha. No. Malaika's sweet of choice would always be treacle fudge. Something about the rich sweet made everything right with Malaika's world. If she was in a bad mood, all her twin would have to do was get a piece of the fudge and give it to her. Beside the excited girl was Helen, fighting laughter as she tried to drag the blonde away. Drake who had moved up beside Raksha rolled his eyes in amusement and picked out a bag of sherbet lemons. While these were a normal Muggle sweet, many young witches and wizards had taken a liking to them. Drake was one of these people. It made shopping for birthday presents very easy for the group. As long as Drake always had a stash of sherbet lemons, all was good.

"Arigato!!" This squeal was from Lei. From what Raksha could remember, that meant thanks in Japanese. All heads turned and started laughing. Lei was currently doing a happy dance as she held tightly onto a package of Chocolate frogs. This was a package that just happened to have cards featuring the best Quidditch players of all time. Sarai stood by, grinning like the Cheshire cat. Lei loved anything to do with Quidditch and she was very good at it too. Hufflepuff was actually in the lead in the House Tournament for the first time in a decade. The Hufflepuff captain had even predicted that she would be scouted before she finished sixth year.

It was only after she had stopped laughing that Raksha realized that she couldn't see Connor anywhere. That was odd. Usually he was in the thick of things, trying to look at everything at once. He would also scout out the prank candies, such as the toffee that would make your tongue grow, and the hard candy that was as spicy as chilli peppers. In Ravenclaw, he was infamous as a prankster. The only reason a housemate hadn't killed him before now was his duelling skills. You went up against Connor, and you might be lucky if all he does is tie you up with a spell.

_Hey have you seen Connor?_

_Umm…no. I haven't seen him since we entered the shop. That's strange… _BOOM!!! The shop shook from some unseen explosion. Raksha looked at Drake and he nodded. They both sprinted outside. There was a crater the size of Raksha's bed in the ground outside the entrance. On one side there was Connor, standing with his wand out with blue sparks jumping from the tip. On the other side was nothing…no! There was a shape, but it was transparent, like someone's Disillusion charm was wearing off. The shape was tall and thin. Red sparks seemed to be jumping from wherever his wand was.

"Connor! Are you ok?!" Raksha cried. He didn't seem to be hurt, but that didn't mean he wasn't.

He lumped and his head swivelled towards her. A look of panic appeared on his face as he pointed his wand at her and shouted "PROTEGO!" Not a moment too soon. As soon as the shield was up, it exploded from the force of an enemy spell. Raksha fell back and landed on her right wrist. A crack could be heard clearly. Before she knew it, Drake had pulled her to her feet by her left arm and had his wand at the ready. However, Raksha thought she saw his eyes changing again. She could see the slit pupils.

"Drake! Calm down! You'll hurt Connor this way!" Raksha shouted into his ear. It seemed to work. His eyes stopped shifting and they settled in a normal shape. His wand was still held out.

"Raksha, get back." He murmured softly. Raksha stared up at him with a look of scorn. There was no way she was leaving her friends. Her arm might be causing her a lot of pain, but she was left-handed. She could fight. In response, she took out her wand and pointed it at the shape, which was quickly becoming clearer.

"Sectumsempra!" The person hissed pointing his wand at Connor. He ducked and with a yell of "Confringo!" sent a spell speeding toward the attacker. The man dove to the side as the spell rushed past him and hit a box. It burst into flames and exploded. Where had he learned that spell, Raksha wondered.

"Stupefy!" Drake shouted, aiming at the figure. The Disillusionment charm had faded enough so that the students could see him. He had on a black hoodie and black jeans. He had covered his face with the hood. The person waved his wand and the stunning spell was blocked. Whoever this person was, he was good enough to cast spells without a word.

"Avada kadavra!!" Raksha heard a scream behind her. She dove to the ground, pulling Drake down with her. She gasped through clenched teeth as she landed on her arm, tears threatening to fall. She felt a wind blow over her head and heard a window shatter. I hope no one got hit, she thought, as glass shards rained over her and Drake.

_Raksha! Get out of there and RUN!!!!!_

_I need to help Connor!_

Raksha got up and looked for her geeky friend. He was still standing with a murderous expression on her face. It was actually slightly scary.

"STUPEFY!!!" the boy screamed. This time, he didn't miss. The spell hit the assailent in the chest and brought him down. Connor ran over to check that the spell worked. Satisfied, he ran over to where Raksha was still crouching outside Honeydukes.

"Are you ok?" Raksha nodded mutely. Dimly, she felt herself being pulled to her feet by her left arm. When Connor grasped her right arm to help, she couldn't hold back the yelp of pain that burst through gritted teeth. She was not going to cry, she chanted to herself.

_Raksha! Hold on, Helen and I got Professor Cherub. We're coming to you._

'_Kay…_

"Do you need to sit down? Raksha?" Raksha looked at Drake. His face was stony, but his eyes were that strange grey colour again. She wondered what colour her hair was. Probably some ugly colour.

"No, I can stand." she replied trying to hide the shakiness in her voice. She turned to see Lei and Sarai rushing up to them. They had come from behind the window. Both of their faces were tight with concern and some panic. Lei was babbling in what the group assumed to be Japanese and Sarai looked to be on the verge of hysterics herself.

"Miss Werth! Are you and your friends okay?" The diminutive professor's voice boomed across the street. Malaika and Helen were running behind him.

"I think I broke my wrist… Anyone else hurt?" Raksha looked at her friends. Besides the glitter of glass shards in Drake's hair and the dirt and soot on Connor's face, no one seemed to be hurt. She sighed with relief. If one of her friends had gotten hurt again… well… she didn't want to think about it. She started to walk toward the professor. She didn't get far before the ground tilted and rushed up to meet her.

What's wrong with Raksha? Wjat is with Drake's eye's changing that causes Raksha to panic? Who is the attacker? How come no one's reviewing?

**You'll just have to wait muahahaha!**


End file.
